The Angel Compendium, Ch 1
by Nine Elements
Summary: I've decided to do a BGC fic as my first submitted piece, so reviews are essential! Priss and co will face some rivals from the sky and some foes from the steeled depths as the streets are destined to drown in a torrent of flames and feathers!


**Priss and co face up to some rivals from the sky and some foes from the steeled depths! The streets of Tokyo are destined to be drowned in a torrent of flames and feathers as a new terror rises in the first chapter of Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040: The Angel Compendium! (it's my first submitted piece, so reviews would be appreciated!)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own BGC or any of its characters except for Kunimitsu, all her K lettered companions, and all the shady bad guys.**

**Notes: To all who know the 2040 storyline, this is only parallel. This does not occur before or after the storyline, its just my own vision of BGC 2040. I have kept some elements and characters of the story, and removed others.. The settings and place names are a bit funkadelic, too.**

**To those who don't really know BGC, please still give it a chance as a mere piece of writing! This is my first stab at fan fiction, so please read and review! If it's welcomed I'll continue it with more chapters! If it isn't…. (heart shatters) ….. I won't give up. I've eaten too much ice cream up to this point to back down. (who am I kidding!) Anyway, please just give it a chance! Thanx! **

Bubblegum Crisis 2040AD: The Angel Compendium.

Chapter One: Bitter to the Core.

She was rooted to the night piercing peak of a skyscraper as the silent pinnacle of all and everything, waiting from hundreds of feet up above the depths of the metropolis. She gently inhaled the cool night hair with a slight smile and ran a hand through the countless streaks of golden yellow hair that flowed from her head. With eyes of unwavering crimson courage she looked upon what lay below, her heart of gold searching throughout the countless avenues of existence for something she could not physically touch.

Tokyo, 2040 – to her a false paradise built by man from the coldest of steels. The streets, the lights, the sounds, the faces, the towering blocks of wealth and growth – it was without doubt an amazing physical example of man going beyond his station and surpassing the intended design of God. The humans that built it and the androids - the_ boomers that_ were built to maintain the foundational aspects of man's self indulgent existence – were all corrupted in her all seeing eyes of unreachable and incomparable beauty. In her mind she secretly thought of the two kinds of boomers – those created in the image of humans and those left as robots. She almost wept a tear for some strange reason, but it never came.

To her the humans were blinded by their own capabilities and power and thus were funnelling out in the wrong direction in terms of evolution and ideals. The fact that they dared created impure beings that so closely scratched the surface of human likeness and us them as slaves – they were not only going beyond God in her eyes. They were acting out the role God. False Gods.

"False Gods are nothing but genuine demons in dire disguise." She murmured to herself, with a heavenly, soul burning voice.

Her expansive, planet ruling mind of seven hundred philosophers thought of the boomers. The countless clippings of news articles stating the household types, workplace types, maintenance types, and entertainment types all going manic and bloodthirsty strolled through her head.

"Have I come to the right place? The first city where an outside force punishes a sinful civilisation through their own creation? There is indeed, no other explanation for sudden rampages… If this is not the work of God, then…. Is this the work of demons?" She murmured to herself again. As she thought of the corrupted androids flooding oceans of unnatural hatred onto their superiors, she thought of the –

"Knight Sabers," She said, "The Defenders of these unquiet nights. To defend a city from the wrath of organic steel gone wrong… surely they do not think as deeply as me. If they did ever question where the crazed cries of the boomers really did emit from…. I wonder if they would still have the courage to stand up and protect… I understand my presence now –" The woman was cut off by her own cell phone ringing. She looked at her empty palm and closed it. She opened it almost immediately and the small phone sat there in her hand, emitting a god awful ring tone involving an illegal fusion of dog barks and Indonesian Rap. She bopped her out of time in time to the out of time beats of the crazed tune, and answered with a slight frown, as the tone died.

"I am here." She said, with a hint of rage pouring through her seraphic voice.

"I've got the first one of the night." A similarly, soft male voice answered.

"Where?"

"Taiyo Enterprises. 13th Ward. The place is dangerously close to a dancehall." The male replied calmly.

"Damn. There's no time for conventional methods. Don't come for me."

"Wasn't planning to. I'm watching T.V!" The male exclaimed. "I never knew it was like this! I'm watching a - …….. how do you pronounce this………… So Apropra! In fact –"

"You're not on you're way? You're resting? What the hell do think this is, Komatsu! A vacation!" The woman exploded, her enigmatic, pristine face ballooning into something terrifyingly beyond words. Rage seared through her legs. Her foot took action and plunged into the ground beneath her, smashing seventeen windows below into shards of nothingness.

"………….." The man on the receiving end fell silent. "But…. It's so fun…. He just told her he's not her brother and is instead her grandfather…. In response she blurted out the fact she's actually not his sister and is actually her mother. So –"

"- I will deal with the boomer. But by seven sighs Komatsu, I swear I will kick your ass back to Calendula if I find out you stayed at Emoh while I've been out!" The woman hollered, transferring every last bead of her infinitive emotions down the phone. She restrained and eased herself. "...Contact the others and tell them to meet me at the place –"

"- Kuten is here with me too! I'm not alone in this foul betrayal, I swear on my halo!" The male yelled over the line, sounding as desperate as a cow working in a burger bar. Immediately the voice of another female on the male's end of the phone line could be heard:

"Damn! Koma, we had a deal! You jork!" She had a slightly younger, higher pitched voice.

"The term you are trying to say is dork, or jerk. Still haven't mastered English yet, poor Kuten?" The male teased, laughing.

"Hey, screw you!"

"Shut up!"

"No! Hey - Gimme that controller!" The male yelled.

"NO YOU SON OF A BIRCH! –"

"Bitch." He calmly corrected her.

"Thanks! Erm…. Where was I? Oh, yes…. YOU SON OF A BITCH! I introduced you to Reisho Labs and you dare stab me in the back like that!"

"I'm sorry, but –"

"– Sorry? You damn well will be when I jam this remote and these metallic drumsticks up your –"

"- Ass ! As you two have been bickering, people could have died! SO SHUT THE HELL UP OR I WILL SEND YOU BOTH TO PURGATORY! " The woman on the rooftop yelled down the phone, impatient and frantic. The two voices on the other end fell silent.

"You are both wasting time," She said more calmly, as she reclaimed a hand on her calmness, "So I will deal with you both when I get in. Contact Kurena and Kushida. Tell them to meet me at that Taiyo place. Farewell. Faith be with you." The woman closed the phone into her palm and slashed her arm, forcing it out of existence temporarily with mystical skill. She heaved heavily and placed her arms by her side, thinking sorrowfully of the world below her that slept under a sky of black and a veil of white. "To be given such an order…. to save such a sinful and unknowing city with the aid of such sinful seraphs… I pray that the sun ensures my safety with luminous strength, no matter how far away from the moon it may be…"She said proudly looking from the sky to over the edge of the shattered roof.

"13th Ward…Flutter." She uttered, as she turned her back, back flipped off the rooftop, and somersaulted horizontally backwards into the night for what seemed to be an eternity of perfection. After about 100ft she teleported in an explosion of gold and silver light, leaving nothing but a forest of gold and white, dove like feathers settling through the sky in her wake. They began to rain towards the ground, shouldering a faint choral whistle of dove like cries on their lightweight blades of amorphous grace.

"Hey… look." Priss Asagiri noted lazily, staring towards the restaurant window as she sat slouched in her chair. She had a hand in her short, unkempt dark brown hair as her hazel eyes carefully noted whatever they were noting.

"What is it?" Leena Yamazaki asked, looking up from her finished plate with an embarrassed frown.

"…………." Priss looked from Leena to the unfinished plate, unsure what to say. "Out there. I 've never seen rain like that before…." She opted with, in a rhythmic like daze as her eyes locked on the exterior phenomena.

"That isn't rain, silly!" Leena sniggered, covering her mouth in unnecessary emphasis, "Those are feathers… Oh my! How beautiful..." She also spoke with a voice of instant infatuation, staring at the fluttering like blossoms with her hands at her chest. Neither female questioned the unusual presence of raining feathers on a crisp, autumn night, both were just entranced and awed by them.

Both females were hiding a shared secret from the rest of the diners and drinkers they shared the busy, noisy _Numb Prod _bar with – Priss, female lead rock singer by day and night, and Leena, a hard daylight officer worker - were respectively one half of the Knight Sabers. A night driven band of female freedom fighters that bonded with organic steel of the highest order on a regular basis in order to defeat organic steel of the lowest order. Where ever boomers dared malfunction and threaten to cause harm to civilisation, they would rise, in super suits created from the toughest and lightest of steels. The boundary between human capabilities and superhuman capabilities was shattered in the suits - to jump was to fly. To run was to move as the wind. To strike was to kill. These suits worn by the Knight Sabers – their _hardsuits_ - was at one with their body and soul, an extension of their dreams, and their most stalwartly aspirations as physical form. Loved by civilians and the press alike thanks to their mysteriousness, bravery, and courage, hated by Tokyo's Ad Police Force for absorbing their responsibilities, the Knight Sabers were singularly one of the most talked about subjects in Tokyo. The four member's identities were completely unknown to all but three.

Both members at their own decision, Priss and Leena were worlds apart from each other in terms of their personalities and lifestyles, yet their common nightly allegiance acted as a bridge between their respective planets, and bonded them together so tightly. To an observer it would appear that Priss, person that has lived in Tokyo her entire life, with her very distant and hardened attitude, surely would have just joined the Knight Sabers just for the kicks and the cash. Maybe so, maybe so, no one who knew Priss could ever really guess why she submerged herself that little bit closer to the dark pits of the afterlife night after night after night after night………….

Leena was a bit easier to unravel just by looking at her stats. A: Meek country girl forced to come to the big city to earn money and see what the fuss was all about. B: To get a little something more out of life. C: See A and B. Hearing the legend of the Knight Sabers upon entrance was that little piece of flint that struck against her heart and set it alight with an eternal flame of courage, and she too, became emblazoned to the legend. The last member to join the team, nothing but good was expected of her, and that was all she gave.

"So………………" Leena began, looking towards the slightly - always – paler - than everyone Priss with a "I'm intent on walking away knowing you a little better than before you walked in" kind of look.

Priss stared back at her, confused and getting slightly annoyed. "What?" She demanded simply.

"Nothing…. I was just thinking about the last couple days…."Leena started, looking away.

"Well, what about the last couple of days?" Somehow the normally uninvolved Priss got herself caught on a hook.

"Have you noticed there's been a rapid increase in Boomer incidents?"

"No, I haven't. It's all the same to me. Lunge. Knuckle. Core. Evac." Priss replied bluntly, looking at her hand as her elbow leant on the table.

"Well…. There's another thing…"

"What's it now?" Priss grinned slightly. "Not enough hours in the day?"

"No!" Leena shouted, leaning forward as Priss snapped back. "……… What I have to tell you is – " At that moment a beeping sound emitted from Priss's pocket.

"Sorry……." She reached for the device and took it out, examining it "Looks like you were right. There's one at Taiyo Enterprises, 13th Ward. We have gotta hurry." Priss rose to her feet and whipped her red bike jacket off the back of her chair.

"Uh, right…." Leena's mouth was still open as she spoke, not quite recovered from being so rudely interjected. She slowly stood up and brushed her aqua blue work blouse off. As Priss dashed past her for the exit, she nodded and did the same. She then noticed a mirror as she moved, and gasped at her hair state. Instead of stopping she carried on without looking and -

CCCRAASH! She collided with someone, crashing to the floor. Priss slid to a halt at once, turning her head slightly towards the incident.

"Idiot…." She murmured, slouching against the wall beside the door with folded arms and closed eyes.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch…." Leann moaned, sitting up and hiding her face as a thousand other faces looked down upon her in pity.

"I am so sorry. Here, please let me help you up." The male she had crashed onto was already on his feet, his voice sombre and full of peace. Hearing it put Leena at such a state of ease, but she wasn't falling for it. Her heart was in a hurry, and she wasn't pleased with the fact her body couldn't keep up. No man was going to impede her purposeful journey.

"No, thank you! I'm sorry but I am –" She made the fatal mistake of looking up to the man. At once her throat clogged up and her voice ambled away. Her eyes watered with sickly joy. Her heart twisted itself into a double helix. She was smitten as she lost herself in the eyes of the most handsome she had ever seen in all her life.

He stood protectively over her fallen body, brightening the entire room with a glow only Leena could feel. She could not explain nor see the light she could fell being emitted, but his presence made her feel at such ease. It was as if the gates of heaven had burst open and flooded her with its righteous waters of divine protection, placing her in a permanent state of ecstasy. He wore a long white trench coat that was zipped to his chin and ended at his feet. He looked down upon her with a pair of ruby – crimson – strawberry - cherry – all the reds under the sun coloured eyes. He had short banana blond hair which was brushed flat and impeccably smooth. For Leena he embodied the sun; for was she forever buckling before his transcendent, striking appearance.

"…………………………….." She was at loss for words. With frenzied eagerness she threw her hand into his and blushed a thousand roses as she was gently pulled to her feet.

"Are you ok? Look, I'm very sorry. It's all my fault. I kinda walked without even seeing you." The man smiled slightly, staring to into her eyes he gripped her hand softly.

"…………No. I shouldn't be running. I apologise." With utmost reluctance Leena pulled her hand away, and stepped back slightly. She placed her hands behind her back and stared at the ground, vying for it to reveal a hole malicious enough to swallow her. Seeing nothing but her the red floor, silence found a way into her soul and began its feed.

For the next hundred heartbeats not a word was said between herself and the young man standing affront her, both equally embarrassed and attracted to –

" – Are you gonna get moving or what, Leena! Or are you waiting for him to drop on one knee?" Priss demanded hotly from the entrance, throwing her jacket over the black vest she wore underneath.

"Shut up, Priss!" Leena yelled, turning towards her with a weak spirited, tomato coloured face. She then looked at the man, avoiding his eyes. She did not want to lose herself again. Well, she _did _want to, but she just didn't have the time. Instead she uttered : "Sorry again."

The man shook of his embarrassment and grinned, "Yes. I'm sorry you have to go too."

"!" Leena looked at him, half in shock, and half in euphoria. "Huh! But I didn't mean – "

" – Oh, would you look the time," Priss shouted, grabbing Leann by her arm, "Sorry Mr Nice Guy, we gotta go. Don't fret, she'll catch you later." With that she dragged Leena away towards the exit, but she had time for one last fleeting look at the man. He grinned once more, just as her cheeks were beginning to clear. The blood hadn't even been gone a millisecond before it was rushed back into "blushing formation".

The moment the two females left the bar/restaurant, the blond hair man left behind heard a ringing sound emitting of him. He rushed over to a bar stool at the drinks counter. He then stared at his palm and blinked. The phone emerged in it, ringing out a heaven sent tone consisting of piano jazz and a female lyricist.

"Hello?" He answered into it.

"Hey, hey, Boomer alert! Get over to 13th real quick!" A soft, male voice replied.

"Komatsu." The man couldn't hear as well as he hoped due to the surrounding hubbub, but he knew a voice when he heard one.

"Yeah, Kushida! It's me, by the way!"

"Sorry, but I can't get there. I have to meet Leon and Daley. They were gonna show me how a patrol night usually works in this city. You can deal with it, no?" Kushida asked the caller known as Komatsu.

"No! I'm watching T.V! It's great! I'd usually be doing archery round about now, but back to this world!" Komatsu cried, " There's plenty time to jack about with your brand new AD Police Comrades, okay? So swallow your pride and shift yourself to Taiyo Enterprise in 13th real quick!"

"What about you, Kuten and Kurena?" Kushida frowned.

"Me and Kurena are watching Sop Properas with a massive bowl of Sun Cakes! Kuten made them for us! Then she went to sleep. Lazy, lazy angel, that girl…." Komatsu sighed.

"Whatever. I'll be at 13th right away. But I'm, gonna get killed by my new boss tomorrow morning…" Kushida said mournfully, looking at the ground.

"You'll be fine. Besides, if you don't meet Kunimitsu….. who knows what that woman would do! I place three Sun Cakes on her steamrolling your ass with Icarus's Pillar ten times over..." Komatsu whistled in emphasis to his pain statement.

"You're right. Give Kurena and Kuten my greetings."

"Sure. One sec." The phone was placed down for a second.

"KUSHIDA SAID HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII, GIRLS!" Komatsu could be heard yelling. Kushida nearly fell out of his stool. The sound was glass splittingly loud, and that was just over the phone.

"I was trying to sleep! I'm kicking your ass!" A husky female could be heard on Komatsu's side.

"Kuten…. No…. Kuten….. Please…. Put that pan down…. You're not meant to touch it…. That's Kunimitsu's cooking pan…. No…. really, Kuten…. Kuten! Kuten! KUTEN! PUT THAT PAN DOWN! NO! NOT MY ANKLES! NO – ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Komatsu cut the phone off the moment he heard a clunking sound consume the other side of the phone line. He flicked the phone away, into nothingness and stood to his feet slowly.

"What have I done? That poor guy….. Kunimitsu's cooking pan….." He stuttered to himself remorsefully. He then shrugged and said, "Ah, well. Guess it can't be helped." With that he waked calmly out of the bar, into the night streets. They were surprisingly empty – all but a group of, black, cuboid boomers with four wheels attached to their underside populated the street. By each wheel was a giant broom which scrubbed at the pavement furiously.

"……. 13th ward, huh?" He asked himself, staring towards the night sky as he walked further and further away from the eyes of existence. Soon enough, when the coast was clear, the fluttering of wings could be heard. And then a white strobe of light burst into the sky. It could be seen arcing like the moon as it travelled, leaving a hail of feathers in its cosmic trail.

Meanwhile, under that same sky, the wait was over for her. The surprisingly large white van broke to a halt in front of Nene Romanova. The slightly shirt, blonde haired teen grinned in celebration of its arrival and leapt in as a door lowered open.

"Hey! This looks promising!" She declared, " It seems like I beat Priss and – "

"Hi, Nene!" Leena's voice exclaimed from behind.

"You're late." Priss's voice said also from behind.

"Dammit! Slyia, I thought I told you…." Nene growled, throwing herself into a nearby seat.

It was within the confines of the spacious, well modified transport vehicle known as the Mobile Pit that the Knight Sabers could be found together. Priss was stood near the back end of the vehicle, slouched against a wall with her arms folded (her favoured night stance). Her eyes were fixated on a window, distilling as much information as possible from the sinisterly complex outside world.

Leena was sitting a few chairs ahead of Priss, at the centre of the Pit. She too, was staring out a window, but instead of passing trees, houses, and cars she saw a multitude of blond haired, red eyed men. Her eyes could not resist generating multiple images of them – too much physical splendour had flashed before them previously. She was still very much infatuated with the mere memory of him.

And Nene. Eighteen year old Nene. One year behind Priss and two years behind Leena in terms of age, but six years ahead of both in terms of downright guts. If Priss was the close combat expert of the team, and Leena as the athletic one, then she herself would be defined as the unflinching one. For her, to back down from something or someone was not to be Nene. Still dressed in her simple grey AD Police uniform, the self proclaimed queen of hacking and hyperactivity was an AD Police Dispatcher who never really knew the meaning of the statement "YOU DO NOT HAVE ACESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE EXIT FROM THIS SERVER."

Always working hard as a Saber in order to get fully respected (her slight immaturity was always a setback). With the aid of her quick thinking and resourcefulness she was forever attaining more and more of the recognition she deserved. She was seated just behind the driver.

And the driver. The 1st saber. The founder and brainchild of the Knight Sabers and their ideals. Slyia Stingray. A silver blue haired, blue eyed 24 year old beauty with an acre of knowledge and power. She was dressed in a frilly yellow blouse and a pair of dark blue trousers. She acted as the pillar of the sabers by ensuring they were well paid, well equipped, and well aware of her desire – the complete annihilation of all boomers that dared malfunction – or _rogue boomers _as they were so called. From the base within the heart of her self – owned clothes emporium she utilised Tokyo's greatest mechanic to bring her desires to life.

"Where's Mackey?" Nene asked her with a voice of squeaks as leaned forward.

"He is with Nigel. I never knew you cared about him…" Slyia replied, her voice alluring and calm.

"I don't!" Nene began, her face flaring with red, "I just – "

"There's no time! All of you! Get in your hardsuits!" Slyia yelled. Without another word all three obediently shuffled into separate dressing room like spaces at the back of the vehicle.

"Disgusting boomer…. Do not even think of harming civilians just because we are not there yet…." Slyia grimaced, slamming down on the accelerator in rage.

The vehicle had entered the 13th ward. A world of neon and nylon. A kaleidoscope of colours were flushed around the busy nocturnal streets, with the sky piercing towers being exiled outwards in return for the small, buildings of seediness and unadulterated entertainment.

"Weird… we're so close to the boomer's location… but no sign of terror…" Slyia muttered, double checking one of the Mobile Pit's technological wonders (this time it was a pullout computer located in the massive dashboard). She turned at a street, and immediately the change was apparent. The neon of the signs, and the nylon of the streetwalkers vanished. A few vehicles and pedestrians were all that shared the wide, empty road with her. Even the buildings located to the left were empty. Most importantly, there was –

"No boomer…. I still don't trust it….. Sabers! Investigate!" Slyia yelled, hot and angry. She flicked a switch located on the gear stick. The entire interior vehicle flashed a pale white three times as the three suited females were ejected through the roof and into the night.

Priss, Leena and Nene elevated through the night submerged within the security of their hardsuits. They were super sleek body armament suits built of amazingly advanced steel, giving her both full manoeuvrability and protection. Thanks to the primary, skin tight layer of clothing they wore within, moving around in the suit was no different to moving around in ordinary day to day life. Each suit had its own unique trait. Priss's suit was cobalt blue with red trimmings, and her helmet was embossed with a pair of vertically winged antennae. Leena's suit was a military green with orange trimmings, the helmet nothing more than a reflection of the colour scheme. Nene wore a red suit lined with lilac. Her helmet was similar to Priss's but with stubbier antennae.

The three landed on the street and side by side, surveying the surroundings.

"Is this some kinda joke, Slyia? There's nothing here!" Priss shouted angrily, using the communication system built into the suit.

"I was clearly informed that a boomer had gone rogue in this exact position, okay!" Slyia answered, transmitting to all the suits, "But…. But….."

"But what! All is see is air! Damn…" Priss declared, as she threw her arms up and walked forward.

"Calm down, Priss…." Leena called to her.

"Yeah! You're too desperate for action, you know that ?" Nene sarcastically agreed.

"So what? It's what I'm paid for." Priss replied swiftly, spinning to face the both of them.

"Why do you have kill all that I say, Priss – HEY! Look!" Nene spotted something and leapt over to it. She boostered through the air and landed beside a tiny object. Priss and Leena watched from a distance, equally unsure of what she had found.

Slyia voiced concern on behalf of the three. "What have you found, Nene?" She asked.

"This!" Nene held up a small, bloody cylindrical object for Priss, Leena and Slyia to see ( Slyia was utilising a video screen in the Pit).

"The boomer's core….. I knew I was right…." Slyia murmured.

"WHAT?" But that means…." Priss stepped forward, in shock.

All boomers had a core. They were the heart, the soul of Tokyo's mechanical fleet. It was a small object that acted as an energy source and enabled stability for boomers. In the same way it was impossible for light to exist without darkness, it was impossible for a boomer to live without its core. It was the only to put an end to rogue boomers and removal of the core by any force necessary was the general method the Knight Sabers (especially Priss) worked by. But this time –

"Someone got here before us….." Leena uttered.

"Impossible! Who the hell could take boomers as efficiently as we do?" Priss spluttered, fuming.

"Anyone with a cause and the means to execute it, Priss…." Slyia herself sounded a little shaky in her reply.

"Well, at least we know how the AD Police feel, now!" Nene exclaimed from afar.

"Yeah, those poor guys…. They're just doing they're jobs." Leena agreed.

"Don't call those bastards poor guys. We're just doing our job, too." Priss said to them both, crackling her knuckles in emphasis of her hatred towards the AD Police.

"I have to admit though…. This whole getting beaten thing…. It leaves quite a bitter taste to the mouth…." Leena heaved, placing her hands on her hips.

"Or better still…. How about "bitter to the core?" right? Get it?" Nene joked, holding up the boomer core in emphasis. She received a cold reception. No one said anything. A tumbleweed scuttled past them in the meantime. The wind blew a cold whistle of emptiness through the air.

"Get back in the Pit, Nene." Priss seethed, breaking the "attempted funniness" silence.

"Yes, Priss." Nene said dutifully, understanding the crapness of her joke. She hung her head in shame and clunked towards the vehicle.

"C'mon. I don't wanna be here a moment longer." Priss said solemnly, walking past Leena, who refused to move.

"Priss…." She said slowly.

"What?" Priss answered.

"Look. Where Nene found the core." Leena pointed, speaking even slower. Priss sighed and looked.

"What the hell!" She gasped.

Surrounding the blood patch where the core once lay was a circle of gold and white feathers, each glistening like diamonds of the most pristine calibre.

"Those are the feathers we saw at Numb Prod…" Priss said, mystified in their presence (again) as she and Nene approached and stood over them.

"Why – why…. Why are they here?" Leena asked.

"Don't know." Priss replied, dumbstruck. There was something too holy and pure

connected to those feathers – she sensed it. Looking at them so closely was equivalent to standing under the rainfall of a hundred tears cried by a hundred gods – awe inducing , surreal and unforgettable. She so yearned to see and bask in the presence of the feather's source – yet at the same time she had a yearning to wring the neck of the source. The bizarre mixture of hatred and awe brewing within her was a feeling she had never, ever felt before. Feeling it made her want to scream and sing at the same time.

"This isn't going to be a normal week for us, is it Priss?" Leena asked her.

"No, Leena" Priss replied, turning her back on the circle of feathers, "It sure as hell isn't."

End of Ch 1

**How was it? Please give me some feedback so I know how to mould Ch 2! (I apologise for the lack of action. I used this chapter as gentle intro. I promise some thrills in the next instalment!) Thanx for reading! **


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